Derrick Brown
Defensive Line
6'3" 205
RS Freshman
The buzz surrounding Derrick's signing is surprisingly tepid, considering he was a highly rated high school (46th in TX) recruit just a year ago. In comparison, UTSA received a commitment from their highest rated player in school history, Kenyan Kelly, who was ranked 79th in Texas according to 247Sports. Should redshirting your freshman year at The University of Texas and transferring to Texas State with four years of eligibility change how you are perceived as a recruit this dramatically?
At this moment, if you base Derrick's potential soley on the buzz his transfer has generated, he would be lucky to play special teams. Luckily, Derrick's potential far exceeds how he's currently perceived. In fact, he has next-level potential and could possibly be Will McDonald's twin. Unfortunately, potential means you haven't done it yet, and in Derrick's case there are some concerns about his motivation and work-ethic.
Let's begin Derrick's evaluation by focusing on why I view his potential as next-level. It starts at this past NFL draft when I had the good fortune to evaluate Will McDonald IV's college film with an NFL scout. For those who may not know, Will McDonald IV is an undersized DE from Iowa State who was selected 15th overall by the New York Jets. One of the things that I like to do is go back and watch high school hudl highlights and film of NFL players, particularly of those who were rated 3 stars and below. I believe this allows me to recognize patterns and similarities that our recruits may share with players who have outstanding college careers and get drafted.
While watching Will McDonald's hudl, I immediately thought of Derrick Brown. Both guys were listed at 6'5" 230lbs out of high school. Both players showcased impressive athletic plays that demnostrated their speed and agility for someone thier size. In fact, some of the plays on their high school hudls were difficult to tell apart. Both lacked footage of shedding blockers in high school, which was a big question mark for me, and both played a little TE and made spectacular TD catches. Watch their film, it's eerie how similar they are physically. However, when you start evaluating their intangibles, like how hard they play on each play, it's here where you begin to notice some differences.
Will McDonald IV plays with a ferocity and high motor that an undersized speed rusher needs to succeed at the highest level. When watching his high school film you will notice how hard he plays on every play. In contrast, Derrick didn't show that type of motor on film. For instance, I watched two of his high school games- one against Forney and another playoff game against Crosby.
Forney had an offensive tackle, #78 Alex Bowen, who doesn't seem to have played football beyond high school, but was good enough to cause Derrick some problems. Against Crosby, the situation was similar, although Derrick may have been struggling with an arm injury. Apart from a few flashes, such as an impressive bull rush, Derrick was largely ineffective in that game. He exhibited a low motor and spent a significant amount of time standing around. He showed flashes, which showed up on his hudl, but watching an entire game showed a different story.
Differences between Derrick and Will:
Will showed a better ability to shed blocks.
Will did not take plays off. He is relentless.
Will maintained impressive grades and was an academic All-Conference player.
This is not to say that Derrick can't do all the same things Will did, because physically he can. My biggest question is does he posses the grit and competiveness to live up to his physcial potential?
Considering all these factors, I would rate Derrick a 3.8 star recruit because he is one of the few players with NFL potential, but he could also end up riding the bench if his commitment doesn't match his talent.
Note: This was written before I knew Derrick would not play at TXST in 2023. Before posting I went to confirm his height and weight on the Texas State Football website and noticed he was no longer listed on the roster.
